The Council has ignored our pleas. The Beasts continue to destroy our cities and take lives, but our leaders have offered us no aid. Since the construction of their wall, they have done nothing but leave us for dead. It’s time we stop looking to them for help and take back what’s ours. That safety doesn’t belong to them alone. The “Outsiders” deserve a home, and we will take it back – Randall Conner, 484 Anno Imperi Ortu

Stunned, I stare blankly at the massive walls before me. Unable to process what just happened, I drop the walkie-talkie and freeze. I knew the war would have casualties, but for some reason I suppose I’d convinced myself that they wouldn’t be important to me. I also thought they wouldn’t be so early.

Part of me wants to curse Lukas and blame him for dropping his guard. We’re in the middle of a war, and he simply prattled on about how he’d outsmarted the enemy. He basically stood there and begged for them to prove him wrong. The other side of me, though, is furious with the Council. It never should have come to this. All Lukas wanted was the opportunity to learn more than his specific trade. I don’t see why he had to die for that.

The Council is clearly terrified of me, and maybe they should be. I should have known that reform would never work. These are the type of people who will hold more tightly to their leadership than to life itself. There is no saving them.

Lukas is dead, but it isn’t my first loss. I can’t be callous, but at the same time – I can’t afford to stop fighting. I won’t allow the Council to get away with their crimes.

Rising shakily to my feet, I feel a new flame burning within me. My hatred of the Council continues to grow, and I use that to drive myself forward. With each step, I think about how much they’ve taken from me. I think about how they’ve wronged me. I think about the lies and the misdirection. I think about the time I will never get back and the friendships this journey has taken. I think about the breakfasts with my mom and Ashley’s smile when I let her take me to school. None of that is coming back, but I refuse to let the Council take those moments from anyone else.

Their leadership treats everyone as equal, but not equitable. They pretend our powers grant us the same opportunities and that undermines people who have to work harder. They never pay for efforts – so people like me have to struggle through a lifetime of hardships. Not anymore.

Abandoning any sense of stealth, I move my feet faster, almost tripping over myself with each step. Tears of both sorrow and rage fill my eyes as I barrel toward the wall. I won’t forgive them. I can’t.

The plan was to fly over the wall and sneak through the city. I have to make it to city hall without being noticed or they’ll have a chance to prepare. That plan has changed. Let them prepare. Nothing the Council does will be enough to stop me.

Pushing my hands forward, I blast a massive hole in the wall before me. I’m sure every ear has been drawn to me, but that’s how I want it. I won’t just defeat the Council. I want to tear down everything they believe in. I want them to see me coming and know they can’t escape. I want them to watch their world crumble. They’re finally going to know exactly how powerless they made me feel.

Rushing forward, I push my way through a building, watching as it topples over behind me. Three PeaceKeepers pull guns and try to stop me in the street, so I slow my run. As they pull their respective triggers, I laugh and drive the bullets into the ground. If I kill them, I won’t have anyone to do menial labor when I take over. As much as I want them all to pay – I have to keep myself focused. Instead of harming them, I rip the guns from their hands and bend them into twisted metal heaps. The PeaceKeepers stagger as I continue to walk. One tries to stand his ground, but with a simple wave of my hand I send him flying into a nearby wall.

Leaving a destructive path in my wake, I work my way toward the Council. I don’t need to rush, so I stop running. I no longer have a sense of urgency. In fact, I’m almost enjoying this. I’ve spent so long building up and training for this moment that I think I deserve to savor it.

Pushing aside members of their pathetic army as they try to ambush me, I chuckle and continue pressing forward. Another building stands in my way, so I destroy its foundations and walk over the rubble. Standing on top of the pile, I’m able to watch as the rest of my army works their way toward the center of town. Jade and Satoshi lead their respective groups with minimal interference. Even after the bombs, the PeaceKeepers are clearly more interested in me. Good.

Matching the pace of my army, I speed up and walk past the school. The entrance was rebuilt long ago, and part of me wants to destroy it again. I have to remember – though – that this will be my empire soon. I can’t lead give the Outsiders a home if I take my anger out on all the buildings. I have to channel it in a healthy way.

Before long, I find myself in the center of town. Hundreds of men separate me from the Council. They stand in the courtyard and surround the building, aiming their guns outward. When I’m noticed, one man shouts and the entire army turns to face me.

“Hold your fire!” A voice commands. Danny Cunningham steps to the front of the crowd, holding an arm up.

“I guess I’m not surprised they’d recruit you,” I tell him.

“It doesn’t have to go this way, Carson.” Danny tries to sound strong, but he’s clearly shaken.

“You’re leading the PeaceKeepers now?”

“No. I’m training to be on the Council.”

“Why am I not surprised?” I scoff. “With a power like yours – they need someone who can kill their dissenters.”

“That isn’t why any of us are here and you know it.”

“I don’t know which scares me more,” I taunt, ignoring his pathetic attempt at de-escalation. It’s far too late for that. “You or the guns.”

Danny sighs. I watch as his hands slowly shift to blades. He cracks his neck and looks up at me. A strange sense of longing fills his face – as if he actually has some semblance of hope that this can end without death.

“The Council has killed so many people,” I growl.

“Your people were violent. If you call them off, the killing stops,” Danny urges.

“They initiated! They framed us.” I don’t know why I feel the need to justify myself to him. I know I won’t change his mind, and I don’t particularly care.

“Stop, Carson. Just stop.”

From every direction, my people pour through the alleyways. The PeaceKeepers panic and turn, shooting wildly. I stop as many of the bullets as I can, dropping them to the ground. As they reload, my gunmen begin firing in response. The close-quarters combat team rush forward, forcing the PeaceKeepers to drop their ranged weapons and switch to nightsticks.

Danny grimaces and runs toward me, drawing back his blade. I’m ready for our rematch, but he never reaches me. Jumping toward us, Jade drives her fist into his jaw and sends him flying to the side.

“I’ll handle this, Powerless. We should have had this match a long time ago,” she tells me.

“Alright,” I agree. I know it won’t do any good to argue, and I need to get to the Council anyway. I’m far too eager to win that fight to squabble with Jade about someone as insignificant as Danny Cunningham. My army can handle all the Council trainees for all I care – I just want to beat their leaders.

I place a telekinetic barrier around myself and walk through the middle of the carnage. Bullets ricochet from my shield, but it barely fazes me. I watch as Ravi fights a PeaceKeeper to my left and Alfred to my right. Conroy gets shot, but the wound closes up quickly. He’s a stronger shifter than I thought. Calypso and the other gunmen are scattered around alleys and rooftops, and their bullets pick off the poorly trained PeaceKeepers.

When I reach the entrance to city hall, I climb the stone steps. I am going to tear down their door and stroll inside. Finally, I’m going to bring an end to their rule.

Standing in my way is only one figure, but it’s possibly the last one I want to see. Lance Quill stands on the stone pathway in the middle of the four pillars which hold the decorative overhanging roof. With a groan, I walk up the stairs and stop a few feet from him.

“Of course you’re here,” I observe. Directly behind him – the final barrier blocking me from victory – is the massive ornate door.

“I can’t let you through, Carson,” Lance asserts confidently. I snicker as I see the expression on his face. He truly believes he can beat me. Lance clearly has no idea how far I’ve come since our last encounter.

“I wasn’t asking for your permission,” I shrug.

“I know what they did is wrong. I know they have to change. But that’s why I’m going to be on the Council. They’ve done so much right. The system itself isn’t broken. Before you disrupted it, people were happy.”

“Easy for you to say,” I snarl. “They favored you.”

“I warned you to keep your head down,” Lance sighs.

“Are you threatening me again?”

“No, Carson. I was trying to tell you. I know this isn’t the right way to do things, but I still have hope. I can’t let you hurt them.”

“I’m going to make them pay.”

“I don’t doubt you could – but it won’t solve anything.”

“We’ll see. Step aside or you’re fall with them.”

“Turn back, Carson. You can still survive this.”

Fed up with his feigned sympathy and his pity, I thrust my arm forward. Rather than flying into the door, Lance bends over backward, somehow avoiding my energy entirely. Annoyed, I swing my arm to the side. Jumping and rolling in the air, he avoids my attack once again.

Lance runs toward me and I desperately try to throw my energy in a way he can’t predict. I thrust a fist toward him, but he avoids the blast with a pirouette before continuing his path. I drop my fist, trying to pin him to the ground, but he rolls forward and avoids the attack again.

Closing the distance, Lance finally reaches me. He throws a right hook, so I put up a telekinetic wall to block his attack. Shifting his motion at the lost possible second, he executes an uppercut with his left hand. Unable to react in time, I feel his fist collide with my jaw. Stumbling backward, I almost lose my balance. However, I’m able to push myself up with a quick energy blast.

I punch toward him, but Lance ducks under me and drives his fist into my ribs. As he rises, he lands a hook to my jaw and I drop to the ground. After slowing my fall telekinetically, I catch myself on all fours. Lance hesitates, apparently unwilling to attack me before I stand again. I’ll make sure he regrets his mistake.

I lash my arm out and send a wave of energy toward him. My head aches a little, but my rage gives me the strength to ignore the pain. Lance steps to the side and bends over, avoiding my attack once again. Circling around me, he stands behind me and kicks me. Unable to balance on three limbs, I faceplant and cough violently.

When I pull my head back, I see droplets of red on coating the decorative stone pathway. Anger fuels me, but I know there’s no way I can beat him. He’s too fast for me, even with my powers. Rolling away, I slam one hand into the ground and push myself upward. The blast leaves an indent in the ground and I end up a few feet above Lance. While in the air, I correct myself to land properly, but Lance spins with a turning heel kick and sends me flying toward one of the four pillars. Pushing against it, I stop myself from colliding into it and steadily land. Beside me, the Somatic pillar cracks and crumbles.

“You can still walk away, Carson,” Lance taunts. His disdain is clear through his condescending tone. Scowling, I slash my arm through the air. Lance ducks down, reacting the moment I move my arm. Suddenly, I understand what he’s doing. He isn’t reacting to my energy – he’s simply perceiving my movement.

Lance runs toward me, but I don’t bother to try to counterattack. Instead, I breathe slowly and relax my shoulders, dropping my eyes. When his footsteps are close and he’s almost within punching range, I look up at him with a smirk. I’ve already won.

Lance flies to the right, colliding with the Sensor pillar and sliding to the ground. The stone pillar cracks and the symbol clatters to the ground as Lance struggles to his feet. He wipes his face, rubbing away the blood from a scrape which has opened on his cheek. With a quiet chuckle, he apparently resolves to continue trying with no regard to logic.

Once again, he runs toward me. This time, he is stopped by the force of a punch to his stomach. Lance doubles over and falls to his knees. I direct another stream of energy from the air into his cheek, knocking him to the ground.

Lance jumps to his feet, overcoming his own physical ailments. I reward his determination with a telekinetic blast to the ribs. He stumbles backward and I send another blast at him. With an unrelenting flurry of attacks, I push Lance back, laughing at his inadequacy. This is the person of whom I’ve been so afraid my for my entire life, and now he’s trembling. His weak body is ready to surrender.

“You should have left when I gave you the chance,” I taunt.

“I can’t let you hurt them,” Lance coughs.

“If they would just surrender, no one else has to die. Your rulers are more concerned with their own power than their people’s lives.”

“That’s ironic,” Lance spits.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I growl. Without giving him a chance to respond, I send an even more powerful blast at his chest. Lance falls backward, rolling to minimize the impact. He lands face-down on the ground. It’s time to end this; I have a higher purpose than getting revenge. Resolving to make it quick, I pull down a massive wave of energy from above him.

At the last second, Lance rolls to the side. He struggles to his feet, his arms at his sides and his eyes closed. I don’t know what he’s trying to do, but he looks ridiculous. His face is already swollen and scraped up, and one of his arms barely looks functional. He can’t see my movements, so he can’t fight me. It’s over. Yet still he stands.

I send another blast of energy toward him, but Lance twirls to the side and avoids it. He races toward me again, dodging my attacks with ease. I unleash a wave of energy – hoping for a broad and unavoidable attack. Lance jumps, lying flat and spinning through the air. After the wave passes under him, he lands on one knee. The wave continues behind him, knocking the symbol of the Intellects from its pillar and sending cracks reverberating through the stone. Lance presses forward, effortlessly closing the gap between us.

As he nears me, I switch from offensive to defensive. Rather than sending more waves forward, I cover myself in a veil of energy. I can’t risk putting up a shield because he’s already proven he knows how to circumvent them. Instead, I protect myself with a swirling barrier of energy.

Lance throws one punch after another, pushing me back as he does. Blocking my face with my forearms in case he breaks through the barrier, I feel my feet sliding along the stone. Finally, Lance opens his eyes – showing resolve I haven’t seen in any of my soldiers. If things were different, I may actually respect him. At the very least – he would have made a powerful general.

I feel my back press against stone and I know my barrier is beginning to waver. I try to throw a few punches, but Lance can see them coming almost before I even think of them. Finally, I try to use my energy to push him away, but he seizes the brief opportunity. Stepping in a circle, he avoids my attack and punches my nose, knocking my head back into the pillar behind me. I start to feel dizzy as pain reverberates through my body. Seeing that I’ve dropped my guard, Lance continues his assault. Despite my best efforts, I can’t stop his attacks as he pummels me with one fist after the other. Unable to stand, I slide down the pillar.

Panting, Lance stands before me. Pity fills his eyes, but he doesn’t stop. I can’t take much more of this. I refuse to allow Lance Quill to kill me, and I refuse to be looked at with that expression of disdain. I have become far superior to him, and I will prove that.

Lance’s fist stops just before my face, but I don’t have enough control to do much more than that. I’m in too much pain and I’m too dizzy. All I need is a moment to recover – a chance to think. I know Lance won’t give me that, though.

As he struggles against my grasp, I drop my head back and look at the symbol of the Shifters above me. The other three pillars are weak. This is my only chance.

I direct as much energy as I can up through the pillar, sending vibrations through the stone to weaken its structural integrity. The symbol falls to the ground and the stone around it begins to follow. Lance stumbles backward as I free him from my hold – now focused entirely on the task at hand. Even he isn’t fast enough for this.

All at once, the pillars collapse, bringing the overhanging roof down upon us.